General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm and his spouse Ngô Phương Ly and Swiss President Guy Parmelin and his spouse Caroline Parmelin and the artists performing at the State banquet on October 17. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm and his spouse Ngô Phương Ly hosted a banquet in Hà Nội on Saturday evening in honour of Swiss President Guy Parmelin and his spouse Caroline Parmelin, who are paying an official visit to Việt Nam.

In his remarks, General Secretary and President Lâm stressed that the visit holds special significance as the two countries are celebrating the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations. It provides an opportunity to review bilateral cooperation over the past decades and explore new prospects for friendship and collaboration between the two countries.

He said that Switzerland is associated in the minds of Vietnamese people with a peaceful and tranquil country, a developed nation with world-leading science, technology and innovation capabilities, and a people known for their love of peace, compassion and mutual support.

In particular, Geneva holds a special place in the Vietnamese nation's memory. The 1954 Geneva Accords recognised Việt Nam's fundamental national rights of independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. Together with the Điện Biên Phủ Victory, the accords marked the success of Việt Nam's resistance war against French colonialism and opened a new chapter in the country’s struggle for national liberation. For the Vietnamese people, Geneva remains a reminder of their deep aspiration to live in peace and determine their own future, he said.

The General Secretary and President noted that since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1971, Việt Nam and Switzerland have consistently nurtured their friendship, strengthened political trust and expanded cooperation across various fields for the benefit of their people.

Achievements in trade, investment, development cooperation and people-to-people exchanges over more than half a century have helped deepen the bilateral ties. The establishment of a Comprehensive Partnership in January 2025 marked a new stage in the relationship and reflected both countries’ determination to elevate cooperation to a new level, he said.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm and his spouse Ngô Phương Ly and Swiss President Guy Parmelin and his spouse Caroline Parmelin at the State banquet on October 17. — VNA/VNS Photo

The top leader expressed Việt Nam's desire to work with Switzerland to make new strides in science and technology, innovation and high-quality human resources development; open a brighter new chapter in collaboration for the development of both countries; and make more active contributions to maintaining peace and stability and addressing common challenges.

He affirmed that the continued positive development of Vietnam-Switzerland relations will contribute to peace and prosperity in the world.

In his response, President Parmelin spoke highly of the fruitful talks between the two sides, noting that since 1971, Việt Nam and Switzerland have built a strong friendship founded on mutual respect, trust and deep bonds between their people.

Strengthening bilateral economic ties through the signing of a free trade agreement between Việt Nam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) will open up new prospects for businesses in both countries and bring the two economies closer together, he stated, stressing that good relations do not emerge on their own but are built through the contributions of governments, businesses, organisations and, above all, the people of both countries.

Also on Saturday evening, General Secretary and President Lâm and his spouse, together with President Parmelin and his spouse, toured the pedestrian area around Hoàn Kiếm Lake and met with local residents. — VNA/VNS